Environmental Policy

Environmental Commitment

Purchasing

At Alsford we have a fundamental commitment to ensuring that all timber based products traded through our business are responsibly sourced.

Our membership of BM TRADA and ensures adherence and compliance to a strict set of independently audited guidelines.

For over a decade we have maintained rigorous standards to achieve Chain of Custody certification for both the Forest Stewardship Council®,
FSC® (FSC-CO13153) and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification, PEFC (PEFC/16-37-020).

Packaging

We are registered with an accredited agent to support us with our obligations under the Packaging & waste regulations.

Our ongoing commitment to reduce our impact in this area includes the elimination and reduction of packaging wherever necessary. If we cannot re use our suppliers packaging in a safe and efficient manner only then will we purchase recycled packaging products for our own use.

Waste Management & Recycling

We monitor and measure our effectiveness across all areas of our branch network to minimise the volume of waste we produce. Our partners support us with detailed reporting and meet with us to review progress on a Quarterly basis to ensure targets are met.

Using our own commercial fleet we return and recycle product at our own Recycling Centre at Erith in Kent. This supports our branches in reducing the burden of individual accountability and allows us to control and monitor our position as we aim to exceed our 95% target.

Pollution

Our Commercial fleet is amongst the youngest in the country with the average age of our trucks at 3.4 years. All commercial drivers are assessed on a regular basis to check on and improve driving standards with league tables used to assist in improving performances.

Telematics is maximised to monitor driving styles i.e. harsh braking, harsh acceleration and vehicle idling. Alsford actively discourage vehicle idling and have introduced a zero tolerance approach to vehicle idling at all Alsford branches. We have also recently invested in upgrading our telematics system in order to monitor our CO2 output.

Reports are published on a monthly basis informing drivers of their performance. Alsford’s own training assessors hold drivers’ Tool box talks’ which are designed to generate discussion and raise awareness between drivers on various environmental subjects.